N.J./BKN Nets ~ Team Will Base Headquarters in B'klyn

From the desk of:   THE HOOPS OF FLATBUSH

N.J./BROOKLYN NETS:   The View From Downtown is Nice. Nets Will Move Their Headquarters To Flatbush Avenue.




Not since the Brooklyn Dodgers maintained their team offices in a building which once existed at the corner of Montague Street and Court Street, has a major league professional sports organization had it's headquarters located in the Borough.  With the Nets set to open the 2012-2013 season in Kings County, all that changes now.  A report Wednesday morning by Daniel Geiger of The New York Observer titled - New Jersey Nets Ink Office Deal at Metro-Tech Center says the team will be occupying space at 15 Metro-Tech Center and call it home.

View From Flatbush Avenue at Tillary Street

The building in Brooklyn's modern downtown district sits at the intersection of Myrtle Avenue and Flatbush Avenue.  Since it's development, the Metro-Tech complex itself has been at the heart of downtown's renaissance while also changing it's skyline.  The older downtown district adjoining Borough Hall off Court Street, where the Dodgers had their offices is slated to become a historic district now.

The smaller white building to the left is the site where the former building once stood 

where-in the Brooklyn Dodgers maintained their offices.

Once they're all moved into their new offices, there's a good chance that with the windows open, the night crews are liable to hear chants and cheers in support of the basketball team playing not too far away.  No not the Nets!  I'm talking about Brooklyn's collegiate cagers from Flatbush; Long Island University Blackbirds; who play their home games a mere three blocks away from the new Nets' downtown digs.  And just up the block is Juniors Cafe for their eating pleasure.



Just a mere quarter mile south on Flatbush Avenue at Atlantic Avenue, construction of Barclays Center continues.  And what a difference a year makes.  The roof is almost complete just in time for the winter too.

ONE YEAR AGO  -  JANUARY 2011

Much of the work assembling the second and third level framing was spent along Atlantic Avenue and wrapped around Sixth Avenue towards Pacific Street.  The diagonal support beams on which the seating areas would rest were in the process of being lifted and fixed into place.  And right around this time last year, there was a lot of snow that hit the city.  Yet construction was reported to be on time, and in fact ahead of schedule.

ONE YEAR LATER  -  JANUARY 2012

The aesthetics of the exoskeleton being applied will keep the arena in harmony with the surrounding neighborhoods; portions of which are historic districts like in the Fort Greene area, Prospect Heights, and Park Slope.  So far portions along Atlantic Avenue, and Flatbush Avenue extending from Dean Street have the panels fixed in place.  But suddenly, there's a problem now.  The company which fabricates the weathered panels has gone out of business.  But much of the glass work at the main entrance to Barclays Center (pictured below) and along Atlantic Avenue is near complete.  And as mentioned, the lid on this place is almost finished.

SEASON GAME SEVEN:   Boston 89;  New Jersey 70.     SEASON RECORD:   1-6

Now, as far as the team.  Who's Adversity?  And what's his number?  Because you might as well give Adversity a jersey for the amount of time it spends travelling with the team and factoring into their game.  An already precarious situation took another turn towards incredulous.  With hopes of landing Dwight Howard all but dashed; then losing their remaining emerging Center to foot surgery, the Nets were additionally forced to take on the Celtics in Boston Wednesday night without the the services of Kris Humphries AND their leader, Deron Williams.  These guys are in desperate need of luck; or just some good news; or just something to go right for them....soon.




RELATED ARTICLES:

Nets to Move 150 Jobs to Metro Tech in Brooklyn; - N.Y. Post
Nets to Move Corporate Side to Brooklyn; - Wall Street Journal
Nets Start Heading to Brooklyn; Business Side Moves in February; - Nets Daily






Mike.BTB